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Just Delivered: DV Nation RAMRod PC - Sandy Bridge-E, 64GB DDR3, 480GB RevoDrive 3 X2

Subject: Systems, Storage | May 11, 2012 - 04:34 PM |
Tagged: x79, sandy bridge-e, RevoDrive 3 X2, ramrod, just delivered, dv nation

Just Delivered is a section of PC Perspective where we share some of the goodies that pass through our labs that may or may not see a review, but are pretty cool none the less.

When you are a little fish in the great big pond of PC builders, you need to do something to stand out from the rest.  The people behind DV Nation apparently were well aware of that when entering the system vendor business and offering up SSDs to every single system configuration.  Through a new system they are offering, provocatively named the "RAMRod PC", DV Nation provides a pre-built system that has some very unique components and configuration settings.

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Built around the Antec Three Hundred Two chassis, the first glance at the RAMRod doesn't really indicate anything special is going on under the hood.  But let's take a quick look at the specs:

  • Intel Core i7-3820 @ 4.4 GHz
  • 64GB DDR3-1600 Memory from G.Skill
  • Radeon HD 6990 4GB 
  • 2x Seagate Momentus XT 750GB Hybrid HDD in RAID-0
  • OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2 480GB PCIE SSD
  • RAMCache: SuperSpeed Supercache 8GB on PCIE SSD, 8GB on Momentus
  • RAMDisk: 42GB ROMEX Primo rated at 8000 MB/s
  • Cost: $5,400

Obviously there is a LOT of storage work going on in the RAMRod and the purpose of the rig is to be the fastest pre-configured storage available anywhere.  If you are looking for a cheaper version of this system you can get a base model with 16GB of memory, 10GB RAMDisk, 2GB RAMCache, 240GB PCIe SSD, single standard hard drive and even at GTX 680 for $2999.

Let's take a quick walk around the rest of the system.

Continue reading our preview of the DV Nation RAMRod PC!!

Source: DV Nation

For those who prefer their boards with a bit of experience, MSI's Big Bang XPower II X79

Subject: Motherboards | April 10, 2012 - 12:38 PM |
Tagged: msi, Big Bang XPower II, x79, lga2011

If you are looking for Z77 previews then the long list below should keep you occupied, but since Ivy Bridge processors are not yet available these tests with Sandy Bridge processors are more of a performance preview even if almost every model of Z77 board can already be had.  If you are more interested in [H]ard numbers then why not check out [H]'s review of the MSI Big Bang XPower II, a fully evolved X79 motherboard.  This chipset has matured and expanded its capabilities, a Core i-7 3960K was perfectly stable at 4.7GHz after a bit of work.  The board came off of the review with flying colours even if the BIOS was renamed to the MSI DoubleClick BIOS thanks to some issues with the UEFI's interface.

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"MSI pulls out all the stops to create the Big Bang XPower II. A true enthusiast class motherboard designed for over the top enthusiast rigs. The XPower II is able to satisfy the overclocker and fits the needs of the multi-GPU user looking for a bigger bang. And yes, you even get fake bullets and guns on your heatsinks."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

 

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Gigabyte GA-X79-UD5 LGA 2011 EATX Motherboard Review

Author:
Date: March 26, 2012
Subject: Motherboards, Chipsets
Manufacturer: Gigabyte
Tagged: x79, sandy bridge-e, motherboard, mobo, lga 2011, Intel, gigabyte, atx

Introduction and Features

Introduction

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Courtesy of Gigabyte

We are still making our way through an avalanche of X79 motherboards on our test bench that leverages the power of Sandy Bridge-E CPUs, but we didn't want to wait any longer on powering up Gigabyte's GA-X79-UD5 extended ATX motherboard. Gigabyte has really stepped up their game by offering optimized LGA 2011 for no-nonsense PC builders, hardware enthusiasts, serious overclockers, and even FPS/RPG PC gamers. Our review of the X79-UD5 is going to evaluate every aspect of the board's ability to handle automatic and manual overclocking, DX10/DX11 gaming, and other synthetic and real-world benchmarks.

 

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Courtesy of Gigabyte

The Gigabyte X79-UD5 motherboard takes full advantage of the new features available with the LGA 2011 platform and X79 Express chipset like the abiliy to use up to 64GBs of quad-channel memory via eight DIMMs and support for dual and triple AMD CrossfireX or NVIDIA SLI graphics card configurations for multi-monitor, high-definition gaming. These features should make ultra enthusiasts grin from ear to ear because they will probably be the ones who tandem this board with an Intel Core i7-3960X processor and dual NVIDIA GTX 680s graphics cards that were just released earlier this week. The $299 price tag on this board also places it right in the middle of the pack of LGA 2011 motherboards available on Newegg and other vendors.

Continue reading our review of the Gigabyte GA-X79-UD5 motherboard!

Fatal1ty's Asrock X79 Professional Motherboard

Subject: Motherboards | March 26, 2012 - 03:57 PM |
Tagged: fatal1ty, Asrock X79 Professional, lga 2011, x79

As the ASRock X79 Professional carries the Fatal1ty logo, you can be sure that it is designed for gamers.  That shows in the 4 PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots which can handle 16x, 8x, 16x or x16, x8, x8, x8 depending on if you want a three or four card setup.  Six SATA 6Gbps ports will ensure your SSDs have enough bandwidth to keep them happy, with another four SATA2 ports if you decide to go whole hog on storage.  Funky Kit's overclocking experiments were very impressive with this board especially since they kept the voltage to a relatively safe 1.45V.  If you are going with an X79 based system, this $280 board is worth a look.

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"If you are looking for a great overclocking board but do not want to spend a ton of money, this is your board. The X79 Professional easily exceeded my expectations for a board at this price. It easily gives boards that cost twice as much some real tough competition."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

 

Source: Funky Kit

An Assassin, just like his father, Gigabyte's new X79 motherboard

Subject: Motherboards | March 16, 2012 - 01:28 PM |
Tagged: gigabyte, assassin 2, x79, lga2011

The Gigabyte Assassin 2 carries on with Gigabyte's militaristic theme with a heatsink shaped like a handgun but there are some new features over and above the bright green expansion slots.  The board uses the E-ATX form factor and sports not only Bigfoot's KillerNIC onboard but also a WiFi card with two antenna, giving your next LGA2011 build a lot of networking power.  LanOC's testing revealed that the storage controller on this board lagged behind some similar models and they had some audio issues as well, though it is possible a BIOS update could change that.  They were also disappointed to be limited to 4 DIMMs maximum, as other high end X79 boards sport an extra pair of slots for a truly large memory pool.

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"It seems almost like it was yesterday when I took a close look at Gigabytes Assassin, flagship motherboard on the X58 chipset. Here we are less than a year later with a new chipset and socket available. That means it’s time once again to take a look at Gigabyte’s flagship gaming motherboard, the Assassin 2 X79. With a lower price point, smaller form factor, and all of the features of the original we loved the Assassin 2 should be a great board. Of course we won’t know that for sure until we dig in a little farther, so let’s jump in!"

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

 

Source: LanOC

Foxconn's Quantum Force gains in reputation

Subject: Motherboards | February 15, 2012 - 06:31 PM |
Tagged: x79, sandy bridge-e, quantumian-1, foxconn

Eagle-eyed readers will recognize this board from the "From the Forums" post that we presented to you last week.  It seems that our stalwart Forum member is not the only one to locate Foxconn's uniquely named X79 board, the Quantumian-1 from their Quantum Force lineup.  NinjaLane has a quick look at the board here and cover some of the features immediately observable on the motherboard.  If you are looking for hard numbers though, Windwithme's Forum post is still the way to go.

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"In this preview we will be looking at one of the latest motherboards in the Quantum Force lineup the Quantumian-1 X79. The Quantumian-1n is an enthusiast level motherboard designed for high-end gaming and overclocking using the full set of features common to Quantum Force motherboards."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

 

Source: Ninjalane

From the Forums: Foxconn Quantumian-1 X79 Motherboard In-depth Review

Author:
Date: February 6, 2012
Subject: Motherboards
Manufacturer: Foxconn
Tagged: x79, sandy bridge-e, quantumian-1, from the forums, foxconn, forum

Layout and Features

From the Forums is a new segment here on PC Perspective where we dive through the best content on the PC Perspective Forums and bring it to the main stage here on pcper.com.  Even though this content isn't direct from our editors it brings value to the reader and so we wanted to push into the spotlight!  Our forums are some of the best online if you are looking for community fun and gaming or have a particularly annoying issue you are trying to work out on your latest build.  Be sure you stop by to see what our members are up to today!!

Windwithme has been a member of the PC Perspective Forums since mid-2009 and has continually contributed with in-depth reviews of hardware including motherboard, graphics cards SSDs and more.  Though English is not his native language, and because of that some of his text will seem odd to US readers, the content is great and we are glad to have Windwithme as part of our community!  Enjoy!  You can find the original thread for this content right here.

If you have any feedback on this new feature, please drop us a line in the commments below!

 

Ever since Intel officially launch Sandy Bridge-E new platform in 2011 November,
several motherboard companies successively roll out new motherboard based on X79 chipset to support Intel next generation high-end platform.

Due to the continuous effort of self-own brand management made by FOXCONN, Quantum Force series still dominant high-end motherboard.

FOXCONN X79 Quantumian-1 still provides various choices for the market though the quantities of Quantum Force series are not as various as they are in the past time.  Soon after the release of Intel X79 chipset, FOXCONN promptly roll out corresponding X79 motherboard. Quantum Force was naming in a special way which the Intel code won’t be shown on the models.

This time, Quantumian-1 which belongs to the series of Quantum Force still follows the high-end style both in material and design.

The patterns shown on exterior packing of high-end product are always different which exhibits the great efforts on art design.

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The full picture of FOXCONN Quantumian-1

Quantum Force is common to use black and red to create contrast visual sense.
Currently, there are more and more motherboard brands adopt these two colors to match. 

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It is known that the market segment of Quantumian-1 x79 is positioned as high-end product line.
Besides, the corresponding specification, design and featured over clocking function have also been highly highlighted.

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Accessories

  • Product manual
  • easy guide
  • nVIDIA SLI 3Way bridge
  • CD
  • IO shield

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  • SATA connectors and cables both in red and yellow
  • DC power cable SATA

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Continue reading the rest of this forum review of the Foxconn Quantumian-1 X79 Motherboard!!

Rawr, ASUS unleashed the X79 Sabertooth

Subject: Motherboards | February 1, 2012 - 05:16 PM |
Tagged: asus, Sabertooth, Patsburg, x79, lga 2011

ASUS Sabretooth TUF series has been growing, from the P67 version on the Intel side to the 990FX version for AMD users and now has an X79 model.  These boards all feature TUF Thermal Armor which not only gives a unique look but is also intended to provide enhanced cooling.  This is a high end family, which features ASUS' customized back panel and a five year warranty to help justify the price.  It sports three PCIe 3.0 slots, two at 16x and one at 8x as well as a pair of PCIe 2.0 1x slots and a legacy PCI slot.  For storage you four SATA 6Gbps ports and two 6Gbps eSATA ports split between three controllers as well as four 3Gbps ports.  You also enjoy a half dozen USB 3.0 ports and even Firewire.  Take a look at one of ASUS best offerings for LGA2011 processors at Hardware Canucks.

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"In mid November we saw the launch of the enthusiast-based Sandy Bridge Extreme platform along with the X79 (code name Patsburg) chipsets and since then we have brought you reviews of the i7-3960X CPU and the Rampage IV Extreme motherboard. Today we continue our walk down the LGA2011 road and bring you another highly anticipated board from ASUS: the Sabertooth X79."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

 

Source: Hardware Canucks

Five X79 boards to choose from

Subject: Motherboards | January 23, 2012 - 05:22 PM |
Tagged: x79, asus, asrock, Intel, msi, ECS, lga2011, p9x79 deluxe, X79 Extreme9, X79R-AX, DX79SI, X79A-GD65(8D)

There are five usual suspects when discussing the X79 chipset, Asus's P9X79 Deluxe, the Asrock X79 Extreme9, ECS's X79R-AX, Intel's DX79SI and last but not least, MSI's X79A-GD65(8D).  While very similar overall, each board has distinct features that the companies have introduced as standard over the years, from ASUS' Q-LED to MSI's OC Genie.  TechSpot had their work cut out for them, the boards range in price by $100 and the board that they picked as the winner might just surprise you.

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"Those wanting to build the ultimate performance system will naturally turn to Intel’s new LGA2011 platform which recently made its debut with the Sandy Bridge-E processors. This highly refined architecture takes the original Sandy Bridge design and pumps it full of steroids, while adding a few new things. Moreover, the platform is expected to support enthusiast-level Ivy Bridge processors that are slated for release by the end of 2012, adding to the platform's longevity.

So if you're already spending $600+ on a processor alone, you'll want to make sure your motherboard is equally impressive. Today we are checking out five high-end X79 motherboards from Asus, Asrock, ECS, Intel and MSI."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

Source: TechSpot

Puget Systems Genesis I Sandy Bridge-E Workstation Review

Author:
Date: January 19, 2012
Subject: Systems
Manufacturer: Puget Systems
Tagged: x79, workstation, snb-e, sandy bridge-e, puget systems

Configuration and Exterior

Puget Systems has slowly grown to be one of our favorite system builders for those looking to buy rather than build their own PC.  Using off-the-shelf components might seem like a negative but in our mind mixing an upgrade path with small niche features like noise dampening material and a great overall customer buying experience really hit the spot.  For the Sandy Bridge-E launch late in 2011 Puget wanted to send over something just a bit different than normal - a workstation class computer.

The result is the Genesis I based on the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor from Intel, the ASUS P9X79 Deluxe motherboard, 32GB of memory and 250GB Intel 510 SSD.

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Puget Systems Build Process

One of my favorite things about the Puget Systems system purchase process is the customer service you get.  The website isn't anything unusual but is completely functional for even novice users. Despite my knowledge of hardware I actually appreciate the fact that Puget does NOT inundate buyers with a selection of 30 motherboards and even the graphics card options are limited to a handful of selected "best choice" by the staff.  

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We have previously taken a look at Serenity and Deluge systems from Puget and have been impressed with the build quality and attention to detail they apply.  Each build is continually updated throughout the process and communicated to the buyer via emails with a site portal for photos of your specific rig and even including thermal images of the PC running under load and idle.  It is nice touches like this that really show the company cares about its customers and wants to them to feel attached to the process.

Continue reading our review of the Puget Systems Genesis I Workstation!!